The books I read in 2021
Over the past eight years (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) I’ve been writing about the books I read and about some of the learnings I took from them.
Reading is part of my daily routine and life. I love feeling so excited about a book that I cannot stop thinking about it. I love feeling my brain expand because of the new connections I was able to make, because of the book I’ve read. And I don’t read to achieve a goal. I read because I want to keep learning, growing and honestly, most other forms of “entertainment” don’t interest me.
Before sharing my 2021 reading list, there are two myths about reading that we need to address:
- I don’t finish many of the books I start, so the ones I finish are the ones that end up in my Goodreads Annual Challenge. Lots of people force themselves to read every single book they start, but let’s be honest, life is too short for that. Sometimes I stop reading books after the first paragraph, other times after the first chapter and even 100 pages in. There is nothing forcing us to finish, so don’t.
- I buy more books than I read. My bookshelf is full of books I haven’t read yet. I buy them because I know that at some point, I want to read them, but I also know that there is a right time for everything. I had books in my bookshelf that I only read 4 years after buying them. And that’s ok.
That being said, 2021 was a great year in terms of reading. I read 39 books, overcoming my goal of reading 30 books. Mostly non-fiction books, mostly about business, climate action, sports, the world and the future of work. I started the year reading mainly work-related books, but then I expanded the scope to other things that interest me.
In 2021 the most important book for me was Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, which I had read ten years ago. Re-reading books is something that I want to do more in 2022.
Top recommendations
With that, I have to say that I did read some amazing books this year. It was extremely hard to select a handful of top recommendations. But here they are:
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
It’s the journal of Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome. This was never intended to be published and what I like the most about this book is that I can relate to his questions, doubts and fears. The world changes and evolves but as humans we face lots of the same questions and fears.
The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change Your Life, and Achieve Real Happiness by Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga
Before reading this book I had never heard about Adler or his psychology. Even though the format of this book is a little bit challenging (conversation between two people), this book was the right book at the right time for me. Check Adler psychology for more details.
Utopia for Realists: How We Can Build the Ideal World by Rutger Bregman
At some point during this Summer I needed an optimistic book that provided a clear pathway for the future. Rutger’s book focuses on three main ideas: Universal Basic Income, 15-hour work weeks and Open Borders. These are not radical ideas, but he shows why they are important in our way to utopia. Something I go back to is his idea that “We are living in the utopia of the people from the middle ages.” Something to have in mind.
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need by Bill Gates
This one is a must read. This is a practical guide on how to go from 51 billion tons of carbon a year, to zero. The answer lies in a combination of technological innovation (we need to electrify everything and find consistent renewable sources of energy — nuclear energy) and public policy aiming to accelerate the development and adoption of technology, without forgetting a just and fair transition to everyone.
Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation by Kevin Roose
This has been the book I was looking for about the Future of Work. In a super clean and straightforward way, Kevin Roose shows the biggest challenges and opportunities for the Future of Work.
If you want to check the other books I read, check my Goodreads Challenge 2021.
For 2022, I want to read 30 more books, of which some will be re-reads. I want to keep reading about sports leadership, learning, business, sustainability and feminism. Let’s see where this will take me.
Please feel free to email me your book recommendations. I’m always looking for great books to read.
To see what I’ve read in the past and what I’m reading now, follow me on Goodreads.
